Draft-equalizer.



W. G. MGCONN-AGHIE.

DRAFT BQUALIZER. APPLICATION HLBD MAY 1e, 1910.

1,044,556, l Y Patented NOV. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,E Dil Wwe/Mo W. G. MGGONNAGHIE.

DRAFT BQUALIZER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1B, 1910.

1,044,556. Patented-Nov. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET iZ.

COLUMBIA PLANoqR/PH 4:0,.wAsmNlTroN. D. c.

TATS

WILLIAM G'r. MCCONNACHIE, OF MEDFORD, NORTH DAKGTA.

DRAFT-EQUALZER.

terasse.

lo ou azi/tom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM G, MoCoN- racine, a citizen ot the United States, residing` at Medford, in the county ot' `ililalsh, Stae ot' North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful ln'iprovements in Draft- ,lllqualizersg and l do hereby declare the it'olilowingl to be a i'ull., clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to draft equalizers, more particularly to devices olf this character adapted for tour horses, and has for one oit its objects to improve the construction and increase the etliciency and utility of devices ot this character.

W ith this and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features ol construction as hereafter shown and dei scribed and then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative ot the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a plan View of the improved device. Fig. 2 is ay rear elevation of the same. Fig'. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, showingv the relative arrangement of one of the rear swingle trees and one of the equalizing bars.

The improved device may be employed in connection with any of the various vehicles or agricultural machines upon which tour horses are required, and it is not desired therefore to limit the invention to any specilic mechanism with which it may be associated.

The improved device is employed in connection with an ordinary draft tongue, and tor the purpose oit illustration a conventional tongue is represented at l0. Bearing' over the draft tongue near its rear end is a main evener beam l1, the beam beineY pivotally connected at 12 to the tongue and supported by a keeper 13 of the usual form.

At its terminals the beam ll is provided with transverse rivets ll to prevent the splitting of the beam under the strains to which it will be subjected when in use. Mounted to swingupon the main beam 11 at its ends are smaller supplemental evener beams 155-16. The main evener beam l1 is provided at its ends with spacing` blocks 17-18 upon which the smaller beams 15ml@ swing,I so that the smaller beams are sup- 'n ported a considerable distance above the up- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18,

Patented Nov. 19, 191m.

1910. Serial No. 562,066.

per surface of the main evener beam 1l, the object to be hereafter explained.

Swinging at 19-20 from the under sides of the supplemental beam at its ends are equalizer bars 21-22, while similar evener bars 23S-24 are mounted to swing at 2:5 26 in the same manner 'trom the supplemental beam 1G. The inner ends of the members 2l-22 are provided with links 27-28, and coupled. to these links at their tree ends is a rod 29 having an eye 30 centrally thereoi to which a swingle-tree 31 otl the usual form is connected. Connected to the inner ends of the bars 23-24- are similar links 32f33, the latter coupled by a rod 3ft having,` an eye to which the swingle tree 36 is coupled. Mounted to swing,` upon the tongue l2 at its outer t'ree end is a yoke member 37 having` eyes 38 spaced apart and depending' theret'rom, two of the eyes being located adjacent to the tongue and the remailling` eyes located near the outer ends ot the member 37, as shown. Draft cables 3Q-40 are connected to the outer ends ot' the members 21h22 and extend thence through two of the eyes 38, while similar draft cables tl-a2 are connected to the outer ends ot the members 23%24- and lead thence through two ot' the eyes 38. The free ends of the various rods 39-40tl-42 are provided with eyes t3 to which the traces of the forward horses are coupled, While the rear horses are coupled by their traces to the swingle trees 3l-36. By this means the rear horses travel at opposite sides ot the tongue l0 and between the rods 359-40 and tl-ft2, while the forward horses travel side by side and in advance of the yoke member 87. The rear horses thus pull against the inner terminals of the members 21h22 and 253-24, while the forward horses pull against the outer ends of the same members. The members BQHQLO-/iL-tl may be constructed of any suitable material` but will preferably be of wire rope, but it is not desired to limit the invention to any specific material for this portion of the des vice.

The members 21-22 and the members 23H24 are slightly longer externally of the pivots 19e-2() and 25 26, so that the pull is equalized between the horses. By this means each horse pulls his own share of the l load, and does not pull any more. By this arrangement the rear horses are relieved from the weight of the swingle trees employed in connection with the draft appliances of the forward horses, as the draft appliances of the forward horses, by this arrangement, are arranged rearwardly of the rear horses, and all of the draft appliances are borne by the relatively large evener beam 11.

rihe members liv-3T are preferably of wood, while the remaining portions of the device are preferably of metal, and will be constructed as light as possible consistent with the strains to which they will be subjeoted.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured, and applied in all localities where devices of this character are required.

The yolie member 37 serves the two fold purpose as a spacer member to maintain the draft cables 3940-1i14e2 uniformly spaced and at the same time serves as a yoke to which the collar or haine portions of the harnesses of the rear horses are coupled, and to this end the member 37 is provided with rings 4er-i5 to receive the haine or collar straps.

`What is claimed iszln a draft equalizer the combination with a draft tongue, and a main evener beam pivoted thereon, of a supplemental evener beam p'voted on the main beam adjacent to each end of the latter, a pair of equalizer bars pivoted at their center to the ends of each supplemental evener beam, a link pivoted to the inner end of each equalizer bar, a cross rod pivotally connecting the outer free end of adjacent links, a swingle tree connected to each cross rod, and a draft line connected to the outer end of each of the equalizer bars and running forward beyond the swingle trees, the construction and arrangement being such that a pair of draft animals may be hitched in tandem at each side of the pole, the rear draft animals being connected to the swingle trees while the forward draft animals are connected to the draft lines.

ln testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

VILLAM Gr. MCCONNACHIE. Vitnesses:

JAMES COOPER, M. L. DRYBURGH.

Copies of Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

